It was a historic day for West Indies cricket as Amir Jangoo and Roston Chase put on a record 401-run stand for the sixth wicket on Day 3 of the first Test against Sri Lanka. Jangoo’s marathon innings came to an end after he hit 233 off 373 deliveries, notching up his maiden double century in just his second Test. Chase fell six short of what would have been his maiden Test double century, but he had played his hand in the partnership as well.
Records tumble in Antigua
In fact, he is the first West Indies skipper to score a century since Kraigg Brathwaite in 2023. Jangoo has also registered the joint-highest score for a West Indies batter at four or below, equalling Carl Hooper’s 233 against India in 2002.
The 401 partnership between Chase and Jangoo is West Indies’ highest against Sri Lanka and overall, second highest at home after 446 put on by Garfield Sobers and Conrad Hunte against Pakistan in Kingston in 1958.
In fact, before this, West Indies never had a partnership of even 200 against Sri Lanka in Tests. The highest was 196 between Chris Gayle and Darren Bravo in Galle in 2010.
After the partnership was broken, the West Indies batters were looking to get some quick runs before they could declare. They managed a further 56 runs in 10.2 overs before declaring at 626/9 – their highest total against Sri Lanka and their eighth-highest at home.
SL bowl their hearts out
Fast bowler Milan Rathnayake bowled his heart out to pick up his maiden five-wicket haul (5/124), bowling nearly 36 overs. Also, spinner Sonal Dinusha (2/234) bowled 56 overs in the first innings, which are the most for Sri Lanka, beating Muttiah Muralitharan’s 50 overs in 2003 in Gros Islet. Moreover, no bowler has bowled more overs in an innings than Dinusha at the North Sound.
West Indies struck early after taking a 318-run lead. Jayden Seales had Pathum Nissanka caught behind for three off his first ball of the day. Nightwatchman Kasun Rajitha (4) and Nishan Madushka (2) saw out the rest of the day without any further damage.
With West Indies taking such a massive lead, all Sri Lanka can hope is to bat the rest of the match out. It seems to be out of the question for them, but they will certainly earn plenty of applause if they manage to save it.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka 308 (Dhananjaya de Silva 120, Dinesh Chandimal 54; Justin Greaves 3/39) & 15/1 (Kasun Rajitha 4*; Jayden Seales 1/5) trail West Indies 626/9 decl. (Amir Jangoo 233, Roston Chase 194; Milan Rathnayake 5/124) by 303 runs
For more news & updates, follow The Crichub on X and YouTube
